The present invention relates to a new and improved signature handling apparatus and more specifically to a signature handling apparatus for use in stacking signatures having one edge which is thicker than other edges of the signatures.
A known apparatus for stacking signatures having one edge thicker than other edges is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,704. The apparatus disclosed in this patent accumulates the signatures on a temporary holding platform formed by a plurality of tines connected with rotatable shafts. After a predetermined number of signatures, corresponding to a portion of a stack of signatures, has been collected on the temporary holding apparatus, the signatures are dropped onto a turntable.
The turntable is rotated through 180.degree. after receipt of each portion of the stack of signatures from the temporary holding platform. This results in the relatively thick edges of the signatures in one portion of the stack being offset from the relatively thick edges of signatures in another portion of the stack. Since the relatively thick edges of the signatures are offset, the accumulation of the relatively thick edges along one side of the stack and a resulting upward extension of that side of the stack is avoided.